Search

BikeComparos Quick Links

Bajaj V15 vs Avenger Street 150 Comparison Review

Avenger 150 Street vs V15 'Vikrant' Comparison:Pricing & Features:
The V15 (Standard) retails for 69,000 Rs. on road, Delhi, which makes it a mind blowing 15,000 Rs. cheaper than the Avenger Street 150, having a sticker price of 84,000 Rs. Both bikes come fitted with a front disc brake as standard. Of course, the V15 is a much smaller bike than the Avenger, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Firstly, it is not so small, that it can be mistaken for a 125cc bike. Secondly, its the Avenger, which is excessively long, making it a pain to maneuver in city traffic.

Avenger 150 vs V15 Video Comparison Review:

Fuel Efficiency:

The V15 'Vikrant' has an ARAI certified mileage of 57 kmpl, which is 7 kmpl more than the Avenger Street 150’s mileage of 50 kmpl. However, in our back to back tests, the V15 was just over 3 kmpl more efficient than Avenger Street 150. This makes the V15 an additional 15,000 Rs. cheaper than the Avenger Street 150 at the fuel pump.ARAI Mileage (kmpl): Bajaj V15 - 57, Avenger Street 150 - 50Fuel Cost (for a usage 75,000 km): Bajaj V15 - 1.06 Lakh, Avenger Street 150 - 1.21 Lakh

Reliability & After Sales Service:
Bajaj bikes have always suffered a questionable record of Product Reliability and Service Support in our Country. This has a hugely negative impact on their resale price, which you must make peace with, if you intend to buy one of these bikes. However, amongst Bajaj's portfolio, the V15 as well as the Avenger 150 are relatively reliable bikes, since they don't employ any complicated technology like triple spark, fuel injection, liquid cooling etc. Bajaj's dealers are also not as meticulous and trustworthy as compared to its Japanese competitors, and understandably so, given the tighter margins, and also because they have to deal with comparatively unreliable products in the first place.

Performance & Tractability:
The V15 is quicker off the line than the Avenger Street 150, thanks to a 15% better torque-to-weight ratio. However, the Avenger catches up with the V15, given a longer stretch of road and can even eke out a bike-length of advantage over the V15, if the road is long enough. That is because the Avenger 150's power-to-weight ratio is around 10% higher than the V15's. However, the V15 feels much more tractable to ride, thanks to a more potent mid-range than the Avenger. Avenger's peaky power delivery, destroys its Cruiser characteristics to bits. It just doesn't have the low-end thump, that a long-stroke engine would've had, which is the most important thing that makes a Cruiser, 'feel' like a Cruiser.

Both bikes have engines derived from the age-old, Pulsar 150's DTSi mill. This makes them rather loud and clattery, which can only be acceptable to riders with the most rustic mindset. Only bikes that have worse refinement than the Pulsar are the archaic Royal Enfields. Newer 150cc competition, be it from Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha has long since moved to a different level of refinement altogether. Bajaj continues to offer substandard quality motorcycles to its customers. Although things have gotten better over the last few years, the quality of plastics and rubber parts still is a long way off compared to its Japanese rivals. The Avenger Street 150 still retains quite a few parts of the original Kawasaki Eliminator and you can easily guess which ones, just by looking at their build quality!

Handling & Ride Quality:
Both bikes feel really weird to pilot around the bends. The Avenger is way too lazy, thanks to its enormous rake angle and wheelbase. The skinny front tyre, makes matters worse for front end grip and it is best to avoid even the thoughts of a knee down. The V15 is immensely better in comparison. However in isolation, it is also a bit weird. It is too softly sprung, making it vague and ponderous around the turns. Ride quality though, is quite good especially at low speeds. Avenger also rides fairly well, but its unusually small rear wheel makes it more susceptible to sharp bumps and undulations.

Comfort & Ergonomics:
The Avenger Street 150 has an outright, feet-forward riding position. It is fairly comfortable for short jaunts, but leads to fatigue and saddle sore on long rides. Its pillion seat, with that magnificent back support though, is simply as good as it gets on two wheels. The V15's riding position is pure commuter with just a hint of cruiser in it. It is excellent for commuting, especially for the middle-aged gentleman. However, its rear seat is a bit too small and frankly you should never use it, as it calls for the removal of that beautiful rear seat cowl.

Verdict:
If you are hell-bent on buying a cruiser, save up and go for something worthwhile, at least with a 220cc of displacement if not more. The Avenger Street 150 is as pseudo-cruiser as it gets. It just has the looks of a cruiser, but no thump, no torque and not even a tiny hint of masculinity. Beware of being scoffed at by riders riding the real things. The V15 on the other hand is quite a sensible bike. It is unbelievably affordable for a 150. It is kind to those riders who have developed a pot belly and some back problems over the years. It is a simple no-nonsense commuter and yet, unlike its predecessors like the Discover 150 or the Boxer 150, it does not have a hands-me-down tag attached to it. In fact, thanks to the aura of exclusivity that Bajaj has cunningly built up around the bike, it has probably become a tad bit more premium than the Pulsar 150 DTSi, which is a marketing jackpot. Not to forget, it is fundamentally, especially dynamically a more sorted, or rather a less flawed motorcycle than the Avenger Street 150, making it our choice of this test.Related BikeComparos:Bajaj V15 vs Pulsar 150 Comparison